The present invention relates generally to laminated composites, and more specifically to laminated fiber metal composites.
Although conventional laminated fiber/resin composites offer strength and weight advantages over traditional metals, such fiber/resin composites have insufficient bearing strength for some applications, for example high performance airframe components. Laminated fiber metal composites have been developed to increase bearing strength and other properties by positioning a solid metal foil sheet between adjacent pre-impregnated fiber plies in the composite laminate. However, if it is desired to infuse resin into a dry preform of fiber plies using a resin infusion process, the metal foil sheet can inhibit resin flow, resulting in resin starved regions. Alternate methods of infusing resin throughout the dry fiber plies include wet winding each fiber ply before stacking, and resin film infusion, wherein a thin sheet of resin is interleaved between fiber plies during stacking. However, such methods are disadvantageous due to manufacturing difficulties and additional cost.